A highly enthusiastic defense of Miami Vice as a dense, atmospheric Michael Mann movie that gets better on rewatch. The hosts argue it was rejected on release because it was sold like a flashy buddy-cop blockbuster, when it is really a serious, visually radical art film with action, music, and mood doing much of the work.
Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections
01Its dense, hard-to-follow plotting makes repeat viewings rewarding and allows viewers to jump in anywhere. Opening minutes
02The film’s visual style and night photography reveal new details on each watch, especially on modern HD screens. About 24 min
03The director’s cut adds useful character beats and clarifies motivations, making the movie even more satisfying. About 24 min
04The soundtrack and music cues fit the movie’s mood and have aged into something they now love. About 32 min
05Iconic sequences like the nightclub opening, the speedboat trip to Cuba, and the final shootout are easy to revisit independently. About 24 min
WHAT DID NOT WORK
Their main criticisms
moderateThe movie is almost impossible to understand without subtitles because of constant mumbling. Opening minutes
minorThe film is not funny, unlike the TV series that inspired it. Opening minutes
minorGong Li’s dialogue delivery is awkward because she memorized her lines phonetically. About 40 min
moderateThe marketing and expectation gap made the movie feel jarring on first release. About 24 min
minorThe film’s plotting and undercover logic raise practical questions, like how the characters can disappear for so long or get to Cuba so fast. About 24 min · medium confidence
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
Standout moments
Favorite
Nightclub opening
The opening strip-club/nightclub sequence is treated as a dazzling, instantly iconic introduction.
About 24 min Favorite
John Hawkes highway death
The suicide/death sequence on the highway stands out for its brutal, strange visual perspective.
About 24 min Favorite
Yarrow meet-and-greet and grenade scene
The first meeting with Yarrow, including Sonny holding a grenade, is praised as one of the movie’s best stretches.
About 24 min Favorite
Gong Li and Farrell boat trip to Cuba
The speedboat trip to Cuba for mojitos is described as breathtaking, absurd, and unforgettable.
About 32 min Favorite
Kidnap trailer rescue
The trailer explosion/rescue sequence is described as genuinely gripping.
About 24 min positive
Final shootout
The ending shootout is one of the film’s major rewatchable action beats.
About 24 min Favorite
Waterfall ending
The final Mogwai-over-waterfall ending is praised as a perfect closing image.
About 32 min
WHERE THEY DISAGREED
The biggest debates
They agreed About 8 min
Whether Jamie Foxx mailed it in
Bill Simmons
No; he thinks Foxx is very good and his restraint fits the movie.
Chris Ryan
No; he agrees Foxx is excellent, or at least that a controlled mail-in would still work.
They partly agreed Opening minutes
Whether the movie or TV show is the better form of Miami Vice
Bill Simmons
The film cannot fully replicate the TV show’s chemistry and humor, but it works as a different kind of art film.
Chris Ryan
The movie is the best rewatchable version of the property because it is so dense and visually rich.
They agreed About 32 min
How much of the film’s music was a good choice
Bill Simmons
Initially thought the rap/metal music was wrong, later came around to it.
Chris Ryan
Also initially skeptical, then fully converted.
They left it as a friendly argument About 32 min
How literal to take the film’s plot logic
Bill Simmons
Often jokes that the movie’s logistics are absurd and not worth interrogating too hard.
Chris Ryan
Agrees, treating the movie more as vibe than as airtight narrative.
15 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
